US anti-Iranian sanctions target Iran's economy

TEHRAN, Jun. 18 (MNA) – Iran’s SNSC Head Shamkhani said US aim for imposing sanctions on Iran is to negatively impact the country’s economy, adding necessary decisions have been made as countermeasure for sanctions bill.

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani said the US Senate sanctions bill against Iran was mulled over at the recent meeting of the committee overseeing the implementation of the nuclear deal and appropriate decisions have been made to counter the US violation of the JCPOA.

Shamkhani deemed the US move, regardless of its legal relation to JCPOA, a hostile and illegal act against the Islamic Republic, adding “the continuation of the previous US administration's unconstructive policies against Iran shows that American leaders make excuses to escalate tension and instability in region by disregarding internationally accepted norms.”

He went on to add, “US hardliners and ISIL are two sides of the same coin; both pursue common objectives by different tools to leave adverse effects and securitize the internal sphere of Iran.”

Shamkhani further deemed the aggressive anti-Iranian remarks by US Secretary of States a clear example of ‘modern barbarism’.

Noting that the US sanctions target Iran’s economy, Shamkhani added “resistance economy and strengthening the internal power structure of the establishment is Iran’s strategic way for managing economic, political and security changes, with or without sanctions.”

The US Senate on Thursday nearly unanimously passed a bill imposing sanctions on Iran over its missile program among other things. The legislation still must pass the House of Representatives and be signed by President Donald Trump to become law.